An investigation by British Columbia’s police watchdog has found fault in an RCMP officer’s response to a stolen vehicle that led to a fatal crash near Nakusp last fall.
The Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIOBC) began a probe into the fatal incident shortly after it happened on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024.
The officer in a marked police vehicle spotted a stolen 2003 Ford F350 pickup truck travelling southbound on Hwy 6 around one kilometre south of Nakusp.
According to the IIOBC report, the officer tried to stop the truck, but it drove off the highway and crashed into a ditch “a short time later.”
“The man driving the vehicle was killed in the collision,” an IIOBC release explained. “A female passenger was arrested before being taken to the hospital and later released.”
The investigation is now complete and the IIOBC has forwarded a report to the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) for consideration of charges against the responding officer.
“Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund reviewed the evidence and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that the officer may have committed driving offences in relation to the use of their vehicle,” the IIOBC report explained.
“In order to approve any charges, the BCPS must be satisfied that there is a substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIOBC, and that prosecution be required in the public interest.”
As the matter is now with the Crown, the IIOBC will not be making any further comments regarding this case.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of the IIOBC.
